This invention relates to a motor vehicle suspension alignment adjuster and has been devised particularly though not solely for aligning the camber and castor in the front suspension of a motor vehicle having a suspension upright connected to a transverse control arm by way of a ball joint. Such suspension configurations typically include the so-called xe2x80x9cwishbonexe2x80x9d suspensions and their equivalents.
1. Background Art
In the past it has been difficult to provide adequate camber and castor adjustment in the front suspensions of various vehicles particularly those with wishbone-type suspensions. Such vehicles include most of the Honda range of motor vehicles where it is impossible to provide sufficient camber and castor adjustment to compensate for serious misalignment as the motor vehicle ages, or after accident damage rectification.
2. Disclosure of the Invention
In one aspect the present invention therefore provides a motor vehicle suspension alignment adjuster comprising a housing adapted to locate the upper ball joint of a suspension upright, a location bracket arranged to locate the housing in a suspension control arm, camber adjustment means operable between the housing and the location bracket to move the housing relative to the location bracket in a transverse direction in the vehicle, castor adjustment means operable between the housing and the location bracket to move the housing relative to the location bracket in a longitudinal direction in the vehicle, and locking means arranged to lock the castor adjustment means in position.
Preferably the castor adjustment means comprises a spigot extending upwardly from the housing, the axis of the spigot being offset from the ball joint, and the spigot passing through a transversely extending slot in the location bracket so that rotation of the spigot relative to the location bracket causes rotation of the housing and longitudinal movement of the ball joint relative to the motor vehicle.
In one form of the invention, the location bracket incorporates an upwardly extending cylindrical flange adapted to form a rotatable fit within a circular aperture in the suspension control arm.
Preferably the spigot is provided with a male thread, and the locking means comprise a flange nut engageable over the threaded spigot such that the flange nut can be tightened on the spigot to clamp the housing and location bracket against the lower side of the control arm with the flange nut located against the upper side of the control arm.
Preferably the castor adjustment means includes a non-circular aperture in the upper end of the spigot, engageable with a suitable tool for rotation of the spigot and therefore of the housing to effect castor adjustment.
Preferably the aperture in the top of the spigot is hexagonal in cross-section, adapted to receive an Allen key for castor adjustment.
Preferably the camber adjustment means comprise a threaded adjuster extending laterally (with respect to the motor vehicle) between the housing and the location bracket.
In one form of the invention the threaded adjuster is engaged with the housing by way of a circumferential arm extending from the housing, the circumferential arm having a circumferential slot therein adapted to guide and locate a captive nut threadedly engaged with the threaded camber adjuster.
Preferably the location bracket includes inwardly extending malleable arms which can be bent to contact surfaces on the suspension control arm, inhibiting rotation of the location bracket relative to the control arm.